TheIndustry.fashion took a trip to Ibiza, in the name of fashion, of course. And, after the weekend stay, it’s safe to say, if there’s any club we want to be a part of… it’s Sushi Club.
On the Island of Ibiza, in the blistering sun, there are few items of clothing to be seen. This is except for cult-worthy apparel courtesy of Sushi Club. Think 1970s Beverly Hills athleisure club meets hype beast, and you will have successfully conjured the image of LA-based fashion label Stampd’s collaboration with Nobu – ‘Sushi Club’.
The Nobu brand transcends language barriers across a global stage. With Chris Stamp’s help, the Nobu name is entering the realm of fashion. But one thing is for certain, whether you’re a foodie or fashionista, Sushi Club should be on your radar.
Perched in the hotel lounge, just South of the Nobu restaurant (the heart of Nobu Ibiza Bay Hotel), we spoke to Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, the Founder of Nobu restaurants and hotels, and Chris Stamp, the Founder of Stampd, about their slow-and-steady business model, the art of fashion and food and how the unlikely pairing came together over a shared love of LA culture and style.
Matsuhisa founded his first restaurant in Beverly Hills, LA in 1987. Now, after becoming a household name, Nobu Matsuhisa is constantly approached by people wanting to collaborate with the well-established global brand.
Starting the interview out cracking jokes and telling comical anecdotes, Matsuhisa moved on to a more sombre note. He acknowledged that “many people have tried to use [him] in the past and once they got what they wanted, they disappeared.”
However, this pairing between the Designer and Chef was well-matched, and four years later, it’s clear that the duo share not just a business venture but also a friendship. Matsuhisa said: “From my past experiences when I met Chris, I knew I could trust him. But, we had to do things my way because I didn’t know any other way”.
Chris playfully nodded along acknowledging that “Nobu’s way is the only way”.
So, how did the pair meet?
One thing about Matsuhisa is that he is a champion of small and upcoming businesses and brands. So, when a mutual friend introduced the two, he was open and interested in Chris Stamp’s ideas.
That was the easy part… the designer had to get Matsuhisa, who is constantly jet-setting between his hotels and restaurants, still in one place. In a turn of events, the pair both ended up in LA during Covid.
Matsuhisa said: “When a mutual friend first introduced us, Chris already had Stampd. After a few meetings, he approached me wanting to collaborate with his fashion brand.”
“I didn’t know much about fashion,” he admitted.
Stamp recalled: “After we met, I invited him to my store and he turned up with his wife Yoko. We sat there for two or three hours and came up with the concept while organically connecting as friends… I look at Nobu as more of a mentor and I was inspired by his story and how he created the Matisushia concept – his first restaurant in LA.”
Matsuhisa told Stamp to bring him a mock-up of his idea and just days later, that’s exactly what he did.
“In just a few days, he came to me with drawings of the Sushi Club logos. He said he wanted to do some T-shirts and jackets. At the time these were just negatives, but he came back to me with samples and all of a sudden we were talking about launching it,” Matsuhisa said. “His brand was already popular with young people, and so is sushi, and before we knew it, the first collection sold out in a couple of hours. So we knew we had something good on our hands.”
19 collections later, and a whole host of loyal fans waiting until the next drop launches, here we were sitting freshly poured crisp iced waters in the heart of Nobu’s 5-star Ibiza hotel discussing how the pair got here.
Back in the UK, Stampd has yet to break barriers, but the designer is quickly gaining space on the global stage for his LA-cool attires.
Chris Stamp is a graphic designer by trade. Just over a decade ago, he took his design experience and started his LA-based fashion brand. So far, the brand focuses primarily on men’s contemporary fashion and accessories, but, you heard it here first, that there are plans to introduce womenswear very soon.
Now that the brand is ten years old, Stamp said that he stays inspired by working with interesting people in new, unexpected mediums. “I think that’s where we got lucky with Sushi Club because I was getting into the unknown. Nothing had been done with a legendary chef at this scale”, he added.
But rather than Stampd and Matsuhisa simply collaborating, the designer wanted to create a diffusion line, known as ‘Sushi Club’, an ode to Nobu and what means to Los Angeles culture.
Speaking of LA culture, the designer recognised Nobu as an institution in Los Angeles with a cult following. It has that je ne sais quoi, “an almost unnamed sushi club atmosphere”. When Chris was creatively brainstorming, he came across 1970s old-school Beverly Hills athleisure club attire and that’s when it came to him – Beverly Hills Sushi Club.
The collaboration is described as “a meeting of mediums through fields not limited to but inclusive of, culinary experience, design, art and manufacturing”. This sees Sushi Club translate the art of food into fashion and beyond. A few weeks ago, the duo collaborated with LA hotspot, the luxury supermarket Erewon. This is just one of the ways they’re tapping into the LA culture and scene.
One of the things Matsuhisa and Stamp see eye to eye on is their creative strategies, regardless of the medium. In Stamp’s opinion, “Nobu isn’t just a chef, he’s an artist”. Therefore Sushi Club sees Matsuhisa’s artistry expand into lifestyle, food, fashion and so much more.
With creativity flowing the first collection was conjured up and the pair had to agree on their business model.
Matsuhisa said: “I have a sixth sense, I’ve met so many people and had so many experiences in my lifetime. When I was young I failed a lot and had to learn the hard way. But because of these bad experiences (such as Nobu’s first restaurant burning down just a day after his grand opening) and people supporting me along the way, I am where I am.
“Now at 75 years old, I like to support back. It’s not about the money for me.”
“When Chris came to me with the designs, I said let’s go for it. But, Chris wanted to go big. I said we had to go one by one. First, we started with a Sushi Club collection in LA, then New York and London. But we had to go one by one. From my experience, I learned not to do so many things at one time. Build from success slowly.
“As Chris said before, my way is the only way.”
And so be it, the pair launched in LA with a ‘limited drop’. With the Sushi Club drops racking up success and selling out from city to city, Ibiza was next on the pair’s hit list.
In Ibiza, Sushi Club created two different colourways that are specific only to the island. They also introduced flag embroidery on some of the headwear and also on the T-shirts that are exclusive to the island.
Matsuhisa and Stamp describe the collection as “chic, summer and timeless”.
When asked why they decided to take the limited drop route rather than traditional retail, Stamp said: “I think part of doing something different is about touching the customer differently. With Sushi Club, we have a way of communicating directly to who we’re selling to, through online sales and the partners we launch with. We started with the method, saw its success, and so now we’re just sticking with it.”
Fans from across the globe can get access to the drop online, but similarly to its predecessors, the collection sold out within one day. Now, loyal followers will have to jet off to the Nobu Hotel in Ibiza Bay to get their hands on the limited drop.
In specific locations, such as Dubai, Sushi Club has small pop-ups in both the restaurant and hotel. By offering the sell-out range at its restaurants, it’s a way to bring people in to dine and shop.
These limited drops and exclusive partnerships are typical of brands that have managed to create a cult-like following. What hype beast wouldn’t want to get their hands on a Sushi Club T-shirt that’s exclusive to Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay? It has that ‘if you know you know’ nonchalance that cool kids crave.
Stamp explained: “It’s interesting, our consumer has evolved with the brand. It started with the Stampd consumer, which is a 25-year-old guy and girl. But it has grown to reach generational fandom. People who started eating at Matsuhisa 37 years ago are now also customers.”
The child who was introduced to Nobu through their parents is now role reversing by introducing their parents to Sushi Club.
The business is primarily based In North America, so handling and shipping fees may be higher for UK shoppers. But, no need to fear, the Sushi Club London collection is at your fingertips at Nobu in London’s Portman Square, Shoreditch and Park Lane.
With 19 drops under their belts, next up on the Sushi Club hitlist is Hudson, New York where the duo has planned their takeover in October.
“Young people love it because sushi is so popular no matter the city. In recent weeks I’ve travelled to Singapore, Bangkok and London and in every city, I’ve seen young people wearing our Sushi Club T-shirts and hats. So I’d say our customer is 25-40 year olds”, Matsuhisa said. “Timing is everything and I think we got our timing spot on. We’re always sold out.”
